Where did winter go? It is officially spring. For some, spring is nature’s annual recurring gift to us to ‘get it right’. For food systems organizations like No More Empty Pots that means the kickoff of another season that includes engaging community, supporting farmers, top-dressing and planting gardens, distributing food, refining processes and procedures, hiring and training seasonal staff, coordinating volunteers, fundraising, and connecting with partners. Many types of organizations have similar to-do lists. By no means does this list include everything, there is so much more that is done every day.

To whittle these lists, it takes multiple people contributing. As I sit here on a gorgeous afternoon, working on drafts of funding proposals, updating business plan details, reviewing proposed operational changes, finalizing thank you letters, projecting staffing and HR needs, preparing conference presentations, paying bills and coordinating marketing support, I am reminded of these contributions. The number of people who benefit from our collective work would not be possible without the support of all of the people who find value in our missions. The people who care about community, give of their time, their hard-earned money, their expertise, and their goodwill to share our missions with their friends, family, neighbors, employers/employees, co-workers, and anyone who will listen. The collective impact is exponential.

And as we care for and work to empower community we must remember to care for ourselves and bring our best to the mission every day. Spring is a time for renewal, rebirth, and re-engagement on many levels. Take the time to remember why we do this work and what it means when we get it right. Remember that it takes all of us to make our communities stronger, more equitable, more self-sufficient, and more resilient. We all have something to contribute – each of us.

Spring is here. Join us at community events over the next couple of months as we work together to try once more to ‘get it right’.